A Community-Based Solution

By Alex Blanks, Program Coordinator

In my first Intensive Outpatient Program, I went because I thought it would help me avoid the consequences of my second DWI. The classes were four hours long, three days a week, for three months, and we were drug tested each time we showed up. It was intense. For a while, the fear of failing a drug test kept me on track, but eventually I realized I could drink on a Friday and still show up on Monday and pass my drug test. Perfect.

I was introduced to the Big Book, but we never actually read or studied it. In fact, I can’t tell you much about what was talked about during all those hours of class. I do remember drawing a family tree to see how I might have been destined for alcoholism from the start.

I was drunk shortly after graduating.

My second IOP was court-ordered and virtual. I sat in my room with whiskey in my cup, my laptop on mute, and participated just enough to get by.

So, what was going to be different this time at The Magdalen House? It was free, so how could a no-cost program be better?

For starters, it was in the name: Next Step. I chose to take the next steps in my recovery—not because it was court-ordered or something I thought I “should” do. I saw the women in this community thriving in recovery, and I chose to put one foot in front of the other.

Each week, a different recovered alcoholic shared their knowledge and experience of the Twelve Steps from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous—something my other IOPs had never done. I wasn’t sitting in a classroom being talked at for hours. I was being guided by peers who had found a new way of life.

Next Step lays the foundation for recovery and teaches how to begin a life free from alcohol. Ironically, it mirrored the state of my life at the time. When I started the classes, I didn’t have a car or a job. I was living in a sober living and walked or took the bus to class each week. I had no idea what I was doing on this new road to freedom, but I was willing to go to any length to find it. You can’t build a house on sinking sand, and I was desperate to lay the foundation.

Because I committed to attending each week and meeting the volunteer requirements, I built my entire schedule around my sobriety. It was the first time in my life that recovery truly came first. Next Step taught me how to organize my time around my commitments and prioritize what mattered most.

Many of us come to the program simply because we have a desire to stop drinking. But as I continued working the steps with my sponsor, I began to understand why service is so important. Next Step reinforced not only why we must serve, but how.

I quickly learned that the volunteer opportunities at Maggie’s were not just suggestions—they were a vital part of the program. Through service, I realized the only way for me to sustain my sobriety was to freely give of myself to others.

I’ve come to realize that my purpose as a recovered alcoholic is not merely to stay sober. My purpose is to freely give away what was so freely given to me. Today, I can hold my head high and say:

“I am an alcoholic. This is how I recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body, and I know you can experience the same freedom.”

What began as a journey to learn more about the Big Book became something much bigger. I started looking forward to class each week. I made friends who truly cared about my sobriety. I began volunteering—not just to participate, but to be part of something bigger.

And then something magical happened.

What I once viewed as their community became my community.

What’s priceless about Next Step is that you’re not just a number—and that’s something no other IOP I attended could offer.  While traditional clinical IOPs focus on compliance, education, and monitoring, The Magdalen House’s Next Step program centers on peer-led recovery, Twelve Step principles, community connection, and service—helping men and women build a lasting foundation for sobriety rather than simply completing a treatment requirement.